Friday, March 28, 2014

The 2014 Specialized Roubaix SL4 Expert Ultegra Di2 Delivers The Way Only Specialized Can

Smoother is faster. The more comfortable and less fatigued you are at the end of a 4 hour ride, the stronger you'll be. Like shocks on a race car, the Zertz vibration damping inserts on the Roubaix SL4 help absorb road impact and keep power planted firmly on the road - couple that with a FACT carbon 10r frame and it's still plenty stiff to thrash around in a sprint.

— Specialized SL4 FACT 10r disc frame with Zertz is fast and smooth, with incredible light weight, size-specific engineering, and tapered headtube; FACT carbon fork with Zertz has size-specific engineering to create a more balanced and stable ride for riders of different sizes

—Specialized Roubaix Pro 23/25c is fast like a competitive tire, but features unique casing technologies for added comfort and puncture protection

WHY To ensure riders of all sizes experience the same sharp, smooth handling attributes and enjoy the ride quality and performance Roubaix is known for.

HOW Size-specific tube diameters, seatstay angles, and carbon fiber layup change as you go up in frame size.

HYPERBOLIC SHAPED HEAD TUBE

WHAT Strategic surface shaping of the headtube/ toptube/ downtube junction, designed to optimize specific ride characteristics.

WHY Improves torsional stiffness by creating a more direct connection to the front wheel through the steer tube, while maintaining compliance.

HOW By manipulating the geometry of this junction, we make gains in stiffness without having to use an overly stiff fiber that would sacrifice vertical compliance. Widening the toptube and downtube eliminates flat spots behind the headtube for greater frame stiffness.

SIZE-SPECIFIC ENGINEERING: FORK

WHAT More compliant and lighter fork with size-specific crown sizes (1-1/8”, 1-1/4” and 1-3/8”).

WHY Creates a more balanced and stable ride for riders of different sizes.

HOW Better layup and size-specific bearings means the fork is 20% more compliant and 30g lighter overall.

HOW Redesigned, more triangulated seatstays have straighter lines from seat tube to dropout. This better engineered structure increases lateral stiffness while maintaining vertical compliance. The unique CG-R design works to suspend the rider from bumps to create a smoother, more compliant ride.

ZERTZ

WHAT Visoelastic dampers integrated into the Roubaix seatstays and fork.

WHY Absorb road vibration to minimize fatigue and provide a more comfortable ride.

HOW Vibrations travel from the road through the wheels and up through the frame and fork. Putting dampers at the mid-section of each seatstay and fork leg helps dissipate these vibrations before they reach the rider's hands and body.

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

You Can Lose Up To 2 Quarts Of Water Per Hour In The Upcoming Heat of Summer Months.

When riding, it is important to replace the fluids you are sweating out with more than just water; because you are not just losing H2O, but also vital nutrients.

A good guideline to follow is to drink about 20 ounces of water for every hour you ride. As you ride, remind yourself to keep drinking at regular intervals. WHAT you drink depends on how long you will be riding. Plain water is generally sufficient for rides of an hour or less.

You can use one or several water bottles to carry your water, or you can use a hydration pack. The benefits of a hydration pack are many, typically including: pockets to store keys, phone or snacks, a larger storage capacity for longer rides, a hose for hands-free hydration, and wearing a hydration pack on your back can alleviate your fears of losing your waterbottle over bumpy terrain.

When the temperatures start getting to the high 80s and low 90s, insulated waterbottles and hydration packs can keep your water cooler, which will help keep your body temperature lower. You can also freeze water in your bottles the night before a long ride or race. But, fill only half way so you can top it off before your ride. The ice in the bottom will chill the liquid for a while. Ice in a hydration pack can also help cool your torso.

For longer rides, plan to carry an "energy drink" — not the kind that has a bunch of caffeine or other chemicals, but sports nutrition beverages specifically developed to replenish electrolytes, carbohydrates and calories you use during exercise. There are many types available, including liquid, powder, and tablet forms.

In general, sports nutrition beverages have three purposes:

- Pre-ride drinks prepare your muscles for exercise by providing a natural carbohydrate energy boost.
- Energy drinks meant to be consumed during the course of your ride work to replace lost stores of essential minerals and electrolytes while providing quick-absorbing carbohydrates
- Post ride drinks replenish protein and vital nutrients to help re-build muscles after extended activity and to help minimize post-ride soreness and fatigue.

More Guidelines:For Rides less than 1 hour: Drink at least 16oz. of plain water before you ride, and carry and consume a 16-24 oz. bottle of plain water or an energy drink. Drink at least 16oz. of plain water or a recovery drink (per manufacturer recommendations) after you ride.

For rides of 1-2 hours: Drink at least 16oz. of plain water or a pre-ride energy drink before you ride. Carry and consume one 16-24oz. bottle of plain water, plus an extra bottle of an energy drink. If your bike cannot accommodate two bottles, you may want to consider a hydration pack. Drink at least 16 oz of water after you ride, or 16oz of recovery drink (per manufacturer recommendations)

For rides over 2 hours: Drink at least 16oz of plain water or a pre-ride energy drink before you ride. Carry and consume one 16-24oz bottle of plain water, plus an extra 16-24oz bottle of an energy drink for each hour on the bike. Plan your route so that you have options to stop for water along the way, and carry a few dollars with you in case you need to purchase bottled water, energy drinks, etc. Drink at least 16oz of water after you ride, PLUS 16oz of a recovery drink (per manufacturer recommendations)

Preparing for a Cycling Event or Race?

Be sure to experiment while training to find the drink that's most compatible with your system. That way, you'll be drinking something that works and you won't experience stomach aches or cramping during the important ride. Also, train with bottles and hydration packs to determine which works best.

Douglas Casa, Ph. D. (director of athletic training education at the University of Connecticut), says, "... never start a big event with a new product in your bottle. That's a recipe for disaster."
To make sure you're properly hydrated before an event, check your urine. It should be a pale yellow or clear. Dark yellow and/or strong smelling urine is a reminder to drink a few more glasses of water, although vitamin pills can have a coloring effect as well. Another key sign of proper hydration is having to get up during the night before the event to urinate.

Monday, March 24, 2014

In the Shiv model line there are four levels to chose from and the
Elite is the entry level price point. They run a Tiagra front
derailleur and bump the rear derailleur up to the 105 level which is
very common among this level of bike. The front is not used nearly as
much as the rear and having a higher level rear derailleur will help
with better shifting response and limited adjustments to keep it tight.

Let's see what Specialized has to say about the Shiv Elite:We
ignored UCI rules and designed the Shiv Elite exclusively for
triathlon: With Fuelcell storage, the Fuelselage integrated hydration
system, and Sitero saddle featuring Tri Pod integration. The Shiv Elite
features a super light FACT IS 10r carbon frame with alloy aerobar,
Shimano drivetrain and Axis 2.0 wheels to round out the package. FACT CARBON AERO FRAMEWHAT Incredibly aerodynamic, crosswind-optimized, non UCI-legal FACT carbon frame with internal cable routing, OSBB, and Fuelselage integrated hydration system; available in five sizes.

WHY To give triathletes a purpose-built, tri-specific, highly aero bike (especially in crosswinds) that is uber-fast but also offers optimized fit for a wide spectrum of riders. Plus with fully-housed, internal cable routing, rebuild after travel and normal maintenance is considerably quicker and less complicated.HOW By ignoring UCI rules that don’t pertain to tri anyway, we were able to design extra-deep airfoil tubing and fork (mostly in 4:1 ratio), and a massive headtube. These tubes dramatically improve airflow over the standard 3:1 ratio tubing, which allowed us to offer a more adjustable and ergonomic cockpit without sacrificing overall aerodynamics. We also designed each area of tubing separately, based on the specific airflow conditions in that precise area. Finally all areas are optimized for crosswinds, more typical than straight-on headwinds, especially in tri.COMPREHENSIVE NUTRITION/HYDRATION SYSTEM

WHAT Fuelselage, is a fully integrated, aerodynamic fuel station, while the frame-mounted Fuelcell is for nutrition and flat storage. The Tri-pod is for additional hydration.WHY Traditional tube-mounted water bottle setups and storage concepts cause major airflow disturbance. The Fuelselage has no effect on the frame’s aerodynamics, and offers safe, easy, on-the-fly hydration, while the Fuelcell stores gels and bars in the soft upper and flat storage in the lower. Tri-pod on Sitero provides additional water bottle storage behind the rider.

HOW FUELSELAGE: A removable hydration reservoir (approximate capacity of one water bottle) easily fits through a port on the toptube, and fits neatly inside the downtube. The bladder can be refilled directly through the port without need for removal, even on the fly. FUELCELL: Mounts in the frame “V” for aero qualities and holds 8 gels or two bars and 4 gels in top, basic tools in bottom section. TRI-POD: Integrated Tri-pod (Sitero mounted) can carry additional water bottle (if needed) behind the rider.CONTROL TOWER/ ADJUSTABLE STEM/AERO BARS

WHAT Multi-adjustable, aerodynamically integrated system that allows for wide range of vertical and horizontal adjustment.

WHY Provide riders with a highly adjustable cockpit for optimal fit (widest range for any tri bike), aerodynamics, and to keep them comfortable and efficient on the road.

HOW TOWER: The steerer tube can be cut to three different stack heights: either 0mm, 25mm, or 50mm above the head tube. The corresponding Control Tower composite fairing mounts in place behind the steerer tube, improving the aerodynamics of the stem/steerer interface. STEM: Simply by switching a spacer, this integrated aero stem switches from 60mm to 90mm of reach. BARS: Pads and extensions are easily dialed to rider’s exact needs: Pads feature adjustable reach and width. Extensions offer adjustable stack height, length, tilt, and hand width (plus standard aftermarket extensions will fit in the mounts).REVERSIBLE/ADJUSTABLE CARBON SEATPOSTS

WHAT Two flippable, airfoil, FACT carbon seatposts, with a wide range of horizontal and vertical adjustability.WHY Provide maximum aerodynamic benefit along with a huge range of horizontal and vertical adjustment, without the need for cutting or modification.

HOW S-Works and Pro bikes come with 12.5mm and 37.5mm setback seatposts, (Expert and below: 12.5mm only) which can be flipped to face either direction. This results in four potential positions, spaced evenly in 25mm increments. And the seat tube has room for the post to adjust up to 200mm, depending on frame size, before curving in to make room for the wheel.

Friday, March 14, 2014

Canadian Team AeroVelo Wins $250,000 Prize For Creating a Human Powered Helicopter

Aviation history was made on June 13th by the Canadian Aero Velo team. From humble Kickstarter-funded beginnings, this team is largely comprised of students from the University of Toronto.

The Sikorsky Prize represents a monumental challenge that requires a level of aerodynamic efficiency that is unheard of in commercial helicopters. A successful Sikorsky Prize helicopter will be able to hover on less than one horsepower.

"No one knows better than we do the enormously difficult engineering and human performance challenges that must be overcome in order to meet these flight requirements." the team said in a statement. "We salute this historic accomplishment of the AeroVelo team and the intense dedication, innovation, research and hard work we know it required."

Dr. Todd Reichert

The team’s quad-copter design was created from a frame made of carbon-fiber/Vectran while the blades of the Atlas were made from polystyrene, balsa wood and polyester film. These elements were then tied together by a bicycle at the center of the machine. Dr. Todd Reichert, one of the leaders of the team, pedaled to lift the AeroVelo Atlas for 64.11 seconds. The craft reached an altitude of 10.8 feet and drifted only 32 feet during the flight, which took place on June 13 inside a field house in Vaughan, Ontario.

Monday, March 10, 2014

From Bicycletimesmag.com, "Specialized nailed it with this one"

"A fast, comfortable bike at an
affordable price, with enough practicability to bring it out of the
recreation-only range. Those with visions of long charity rides, Gran
Fondos, and other fast rides will not be disappointed with the Secteur."

As
today's technology improves the entry level drive-trains are more
reliable and lighter than their predecessors so you should feel
comfortable knowing this bike will last you many seasons with proper
care.

Visit Bicycle Sports today for all of your Specialized needs. We would love to help find your PERFECT BIKE!

According to Bikeradar, "The types of tires may or may not be an indicator of the 27.5 bikes we can expect Specialized to release at its 2015 product launch later this year.

Sean Estes, Specialized global PR manager said, "It's a little known fact that we got our start making tires — before we made bikes even — and to this day tires are still a key category for us. Tires provide the final connection between the rider and the ground which is why tire choice is such a critical element of performance and an area we put a lot of effort into. Even though we don't currently offer 650B bikes w still want to make sure riders have the option of choosing their favorite Specialized tire models for all popular wheel sizes."

Wednesday, March 5, 2014

Check This Out! Making a Bicycle Chain is a Complex Process!

A
bicycle chain is essentially a roller chain. It's designed specifically
to transfer pedal power to the bicycles rear drive wheel.

The manufacturing process starts with a punch press. It cuts and
presses steel into the shape of chains inner link, which looks a lot
like a figure eight. Incredibly, the punch press generates 10,000 links
per hour! Each of the links have been made to interconnect, their
contours formed to travel easily across the bikes gear sprockets.

Samples of these inner links are sent to a measuring station to confirm
the space between the holes is precisely twelve point seven
millimeters. The tester also guages the diameter of the holes which must
be accurate to within a fraction of a millimeter.

Then the links are baked in an oven at more than 1500 degrees
fahrenheit. The blazing heat followed by a quick cool down hardens the
steel. They now shovel these interlinks into a donut shaped machine.
They add ceramic and silica powders, and poor in a small amount of
water.

They then close this lid on the machine. It shakes vigorously causing
the powders and water to form an abrasive paste that polishes the
links. They load the polished inner links into a metal basket and shut
the door.

Machinery plunges the basket into a series of chemical baths to give
these inner links a nickel teflon veneer. The nickel teflon surface will
resist corrosion, and it's smooth texture will allow the chain to
travel easily over gear sprockets.

The bike chain's outer links get a different kind of finish. Unlike the
inner links, they don't travel over sprockets so simple nickel plated
will do.

They are now ready to assemble the chain one section at a time. Tubes feed the parts one by one into an assembly machine. Gripper arms adjust their position to assemble the links to other chain components such as retainer rings and spacers.

The machinery presses pins into the links holes to secure the assembly. Then grippers move the completed section of chain down the line.

It takes a whole lot of little pieces to build one short section of
bicycle chain. The sections are linked together in one long chain, which
winds by an inspection station to be examined for flaws.

After that the chain takes a dip in hot oil to lubricate the links
preventing squeakiness and wear down the road. The chain exits the
lubrication station and travels through an absorbent material which
soaks up the excess grease. A laser tool then signals the location where
the chain has to be cut and blade chops it at the exact spot.

A standard chain is just over fifty six inches in length.
It consists of one hundred fourteen inner links and one hundred fourteen
external ones.
And that's more than you will ever need to know about chains!

Monday, March 3, 2014

The 2014 Specialized Venge is a pure-science mind wrapped in a
lay-down- the-law body.

With a one-two punch of Shiv inspired
aerodynamics and Tarmac-borne stiffness, this machine was built to fly.
With multiple World Tour victories under its belt, the FACT carbon frame
and supreme handling delivers the winning formula of aero, light
weight, and stiffness. With a measured 22 watts of free power at 40km/hr
over the Tarmac, it’s tailor-made for serious performers who like to
crush competitors’ dreams and break spirits into tiny pieces.

When Specialized released the new venge a couple years ago, they really wanted to blend the performance on the aerodynamic side of their time trial and triathlon bikes with the descending and sprinting capabilities of the Tarmac.

Their goal was to create a bike that took both of those genre's and mesh them together. Specialized has also tuned it for real world aerodynamics. The shape is pretty symmetrical, kind of like an oval. What that translates to is - when air hits the frame from pretty much any angle, the air is going to stick to the frame longer. Once you get up to 20 or 25 miles an hour, you really start to feel that benefit.